Flavors
by Rawkin Paradox
Summary: [contest.entry][seifer.rai.fuu.friendship!fic]They sit there, watching the trains, the sky, the clouds, the kids playing, and she thinks. [fuu's p.o.v.]


prompt- snow cone  
for- warm.summer.nights' contest  
characters- seifer, fuu, rai

**Flavors**  
_(cherry, grape, raspberry)_

She watches them as they devour their icy treats. It's a humid day in Twilight Town, and Seifer finally suggested that they get snow cones and head to the top of Sunset Hill to watch the trains. It'd be good for them, Rai had pointed out. They wouldn't have to deal with Hayner and Roxas' mischief, and besides, when was the last time they had been together? She knew that answer.

Six months, fifteen days, four hours, and thirty minutes. That's how long. Her boys have moved on and left her; Seifer's always busy with Olette, and Rai's been seeing this girl he met at the weapon shop. She's been busy as well with her speech therapy (_which is coming along nicely_, she wants to tell them) but decides not to tell them. It wouldn't be the same if she muttered more than two words. She wouldn't be Fuu if she did. And that's something she desperately wants to be. She hasn't been Fuu in six long months, and she's not going to let a thing like a full sentence tear away this moment.

Rai's the first one to spot a train. "Hey you guys, did ya see it? I think it could have been the ghost train, ya know?" He eagerly takes a bite out of his raspberry snow cone and grimaces as the cold hits his teeth. She stifles an urge to remind him that he always did have sensitive teeth, and she wanted to ask him if he had been using that brand of toothpaste she had bought for him. Seifer, as usual, slurps on his grape treat and shoots Rai down. "Don't be stupid, Rai. Everyone knows that the ghost train is just a stupid myth. It's one of them Seven Twilight Wonders, or whatever. In other words, it's not real. Now shut up and finish your cone. It's dripping everywhere." Rai looks hurt, and she wants to yell at Seifer, make him feel bad for hurting Rai. It's the first time they've been together in months, and he shouldn't be ruining it, but she bites her tongue because this is how they used to be before everything changed -- Rai pointing out stupid things, her being the quiet observer, and Seifer, being the realistic leader.

She feels something cold drip on her hand, and Seifer gives her a curious look. "Hey Fuu, you okay? Your cone is dripping all over the place and it's making a mess." She looks down, and as usual, he was right. Her hardly touched cherry cone is almost melted, and her boys have already finished theirs. "Can I have it? I mean, if ya don't want it, ya know," Rai asks eagerly, a smile spreading on her face. She grins on the inside, and kicks him. "NO," she says in Fuu's voice, and quickly finishes the melting mess. "Aww, you're no fair," Rai pouts. He shoots a glance at Seifer. "Hey Seifer, how'd ya manage to get away from Olette today? I thought you had plans, ya know?" "She canceled. She said she wanted to go hang out with Pence or something like that. It's his birthday, and there's a party, so she was going." "Oh," is all Rai says.

They sit there, watching the trains, the sky, the clouds, the kids playing, and she thinks. She thinks about them moving on with their lives, how they've changed in just half a year, and how slowly they're breaking apart and there's nothing she can do to stop it, and suddenly, she wants to be Fuujin, with her full sentences and quiet voice, and not Fuu. "Hey you guys," says Seifer, breaking their peaceful silence, "you wanna go practice Struggling a bit? We haven't done it in a long time, and I'm itchy for some brawling practice." "Yeah! Let's go!" Rai shouts excitedly as he jumps to his feet. They look at her, expecting an answer, and in that moment, Fuujin and her ability to speak in quiet tones and full sentences is gone, and she's Fuu again, sitting here with her boys, and everything's as it was, and as it should still be. She nods her head with a quick, "AFFIRMATIVE," and then they're gone.

And as the purple "ghost" train goes rushing below, the only sign left of them ever being there is three paper cups, with cherry, grape, and raspberry liquids dripping from them, forming one messy puddle on the ground.

_-fini_


End file.
